The March issue marks the 10th anniversary of the GT Tested Reader Survey awards recap. For the third year, our awards gala took place at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. It is also the third year for our Airline of the Year and Hotel of the Year awards.

The publishing landscape has changed a great deal over the past decade, with publications coming and going while Global Traveler stayed true to its course. The theme we strive to follow is consistency. Consistency does not mean remaining the same, but it does mean staying true to your goals and adhering to the norms in your industry. Global Traveler’s Association of Audited Media (AAM) report is the gold standard for publication auditing, and I liken it to a certificate of worthiness. Without it, there is no guarantee a publication’s circulation is up to par.

Our annual awards mean a great deal to us; we take them seriously, and we are proud so many top executives in the travel industry attend our awards event. We respect our readers’ choices in the GT Tested Reader Survey awards and equally trust our professional wine judges for the Wines on the Wing selections and the Global Traveler Advisory Board for the Airline and Hotel of the Year awards.

Several industry professionals achieved coveted Hall of Fame status by winning top place in the GT Tested Reader Survey awards for the past 10 years. They include Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Sheraton Latin America and Asiana Airlines. This is impressive and is in line with our consistency theme.

The 2013 Airline of the Year is Etihad Airways, following in the footsteps of Asiana Airlines (2011) and South African Airways (2012). I am sure many of our readers have found Etihad’s wonderful first and business classes to be superior. With U.S. Customs and Immigration now established in Abu Dhabi International Airport, returning from a trip to the Middle East will be like landing in the United States on a domestic flight.

Emaar Hospitality Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts received the Hotel of the Year award. Every time I stay at The Address Downtown Dubai, I am impressed with the staff’s friendly and professional nature; I feel like I am home when I check in. Emaar and The Address join Shangri-La and Jumeirah, the 2011 and 2012 winners.

Enjoy the March awards recap issue and join us in congratulating our winners by utilizing their products in the coming months.